


Him and Me and You and Her

by Socchan



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Bets & Wagers, Blanket Permission, F/M, Fluff, Humor, Identity Porn, Identity Reveal, Light Angst, Podfic Welcome, puns
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-26
Updated: 2018-05-08
Packaged: 2019-02-06 22:31:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,851
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12827493
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Socchan/pseuds/Socchan
Summary: Cat Noir broke his stare and shook his head, breathing out a short, humorless laugh. "My Lady," he said, "I can assure you that if you're really not interested in me, you wouldn't be interested in Adrien Agreste."





	1. Him and Me

Adrien closed the door to his bedroom behind himself and leaned back against it with a groan. His day had been _terrible_ \- he supposed he could count himself lucky that there wasn't much left, but he didn't want to tempt fate that much.

Nino was out of town, visiting family overseas, and wouldn't be back for another week. Adrien got along reasonably well with the rest of his class, but he didn't really feel like he knew any of them well enough to hang out with; Alya had invited him to eat lunch with her and Marinette, and while he'd gratefully accepted at the time, the whole thing had turned into an awkward disaster. He and Alya had done their best to include Marinette in their conversation, but she'd mostly ended up stuttering and knocking over her food; Adrien was pretty sure that more of it ended up on the floor than in her stomach. She'd ended up making some excuse and practically running away half-way through, to Adrien's dismay; Marinette seemed like a great person, and he was sure they could be friends if she only got over her shyness around him.

After class, Chloe had cornered him and tried to get him to sign something yet again - which he had reluctantly agreed to do at first, then turned down firmly when he caught a glimpse of the rest of the paper: it was some cheesy fake love note that she'd wanted to claim was actually from him. She'd thrown an absolute tantrum when he'd refused and tried to emotionally blackmail him into signing anyway, claiming that they were 'already pre-dating anyway' and would 'be official before the end of the year,' and shutting _that_ down had taken nearly half an hour.

He'd had a photoshoot almost immediately after that, which he'd ended up being late to, thanks to the whole Chloe mess. The shoot itself ended up going poorly with Adrien's concentration faltering badly, but the worst part was that, during a break to change outfits, Adrien got a text from his father that something came up and he wouldn't make it to dinner that night, which Adrien had been looking forward to for weeks.

He muddled through the rest of the session somehow, managing at least passable modeling work, but didn't bother trying to keep his fake smile up for the ride home. The cook had to warm his supper up since the photoshoot ended up running long, which told Adrien that he probably would've missed eating with his father even if business hadn't interrupted - not that it was any consolation.

Adrien looked sullenly at his school bag. He should probably be starting on his homework now, for class or his extracurriculars, but that really wasn't what he wanted to do. He pulled the side of his jacket open and asked, "Any chance we can go out tonight, Plagg?"

The kwami floated languidly from his hiding place in Adrien's pocket. "What's the occasion? There's not exactly any akuma around right now, you know."

Adrien scrubbed a hand through his hair. "I just... really need a break from being Adrien right now."

Plagg regarded him for a moment, then nodded. "Fine. Only two hours, though, got it?"

Adrien smiled gratefully. "Thanks, Plagg. Claws out!"

\-----

Minutes later, Cat Noir was running across the Parisian rooftops, feeling the day's troubles beginning to melt away. The mess with Chloe, his father bailing on him again, the week remaining before he got to see Nino again, all of it seemed farther away when he was out here, bounding over the skyline. Funny how he needed a mask to be himself, he thought.

A flash of red caught his eye, and Cat skidded to a stop near a chimney, throwing out a hand for balance. He grinned when he saw the spotted figure a few roofs away; he hadn't expected to see Ladybug that night, but if there was anything that could truly turn his day around, it was time with his Lady. He extended his staff and bounded in her wake.

It wasn't too long before he caught up with her; for all her quickness of movement, Ladybug didn't seem to be in a hurry that evening. He stopped not long after she did, coming to a landing on a roof in the business district. "Good evening, Bugaboo."

Ladybug whirled around and barely managed to miss hitting him with her yoyo. "Cat Noir! What are you doing out here tonight?" She frowned. "Has there been an attack? Is there trouble somewhere?"

Cat shook his head. "None that I know of, my Lady. I'm guessing from your question that you're not out for business, either." He flashed a grin at her. "Purr-haps you're looking for a bit of com-paw-ny?"

Ladybug rolled her eyes at him, a small smile gracing her pink lips. "The new Gabriel ads went up this afternoon and I didn't get a chance to see them yet," she explained. "I've really been looking forward to seeing them, but then I had so much homework to catch up on, and - well, it's not important."

Cat looked at her carefully in the dim light, picking up the traces of a blush under her mask. He then followed her gaze to the billboard she was looking at - one that featured him as Adrien in a button-up he'd thought at the time was a little too tight. Given the color of Ladybug's cheeks, maybe he'd have to reconsider that. "You sure you don't just have a crush on that model there?" he teased.

Ladybug's started and glanced nervously at him. "I--"

Cat Noir stared at her, stunned. "Wait, _really_?" A thousand thoughts swirled in his head as he watched the blood rise further in her cheeks, staining them almost dark enough to match her mask. Him? She liked _him_? _Civilian_ him? The person he was so tired of having to be that he'd practically begged his kwami to let him transform tonight?

He broke his stare and shook his head, breathing out a short, humorless laugh. "My Lady," he said, "I can assure you that if you're really not interested in me, you wouldn't be interested in _him_."

All at once, Ladybug's embarrassment vanished. "And what's _that_ supposed to mean?"

Cat opened his mouth to repeat himself, realized what he had just said, and nearly choked on his tongue. What the hell had he been _thinking_? Never mind, he clearly hadn't been. Maybe he could still fix things? "Exactly what it sounded like, my Lady," he improvised. "I actually know him pretty well in my civilian life," true enough, "and we have a lot more in common than you might think." Also true, especially if by 'a lot' he meant 'everything, because we are literally the same person'.

Ladybug narrowed her eyes. "Funny, because it sounds to me like you're trying to wrangle a date by comparing yourself to a literal model and one of the nicest people I know."

His eyebrows shot up. One of the nicest people she _knew_? It sounded almost like... But that couldn't be. He would have noticed if he knew her as Adrien, surely.

"Tell you what," he proposed instead. "If you can come up with five things that he and I have in common, things you admire about _both_ of us, then not only will I stop flirting with you, I will set the two of you up on a date myself." There were about a million ways this could backfire on him spectacularly, Cat Noir was aware, but he suddenly found that he had to know. Did she like him for who he really was, or was she just interested in the plastic boy model on the billboards? If it were the latter, he almost wouldn't mind if she never showed romantic interest in either of his selves, but if it were the former...

It might be worth being Adrien, if it meant he had a chance with her.

Ladybug regarded him shrewdly. "Sure you're not just fishing for compliments, Kitty?"

Cat put one hand over his heart and raised the other one high. "Hero's honor."

"Okay, you've got a deal." Ladybug seemed to consider him for a moment, then spoke.

"You're both kind. You show it in different ways, but the two of you are so kind that sometimes it takes my breath away. You, Cat, you always check on the Akuma victims after battle, whenever you have time to. Even when it's been a really long battle and you look like you're about to fall over. Adrien... On his first day of public school, he was having a rough time. I--a girl I know, she assumed he was just like this other girl in her class, thought he would be completely stuck-up and rude, and treated him like it - and he still gave her his umbrella after class that day when it was raining."

Cat's eyebrows went up. He hadn't quite expected her to have answers so quickly. On top of that, she'd had to have talked about him with Marinette to get the story about the umbrella, which was... interesting.

She scowled before starting the next one. "...You're both funny. I think his timing is better than yours, and it helps that he doesn't pun non-stop, but you both make me laugh, sometimes when I'm really down and sometimes hours after."

Cat grinned. "I'll have you know that his timing is just as bad as mine when he's relaxed. He can pun for hours if given the op-purr-tunity."

"Not helping your case, Cat," Ladybug retorted, eyes narrowed. Still, she continued.

"You're loyal. Adrien does everything he can to keep from letting his friends down, and always tries to make up for it when he does, and you... You have never let me down at all."

He outright blushed at that one. It was also really starting to sound like Ladybug knew someone from his school, or maybe even went there herself? Or maybe she and Marinette were just closer friends than he'd thought.

"You're dedicated; you both work really hard at what you do. I remember in the beginning, when we were still getting used to our powers, I could tell you practiced on your own time. Adrien devotes a lot of extra energy to making sure he does well in school, and he's got so many extra-curriculars you'd think one would fall through, but he still keeps up with them! I'm sure you have a lot to do in your ordinary life, too, but you're still always able to help me out. I really admire that."

That was four down right off the bat, he realized. Maybe she really did like Adrien for himself. The idea was becoming less ludicrous with every observation. Hell, he was willing take the loss with just the four reasons she'd given already, but he really wanted to hear the fifth one now.

Ladybug took a deep, fortifying breath before starting the last one. "I could see myself building a life with both of you. I liked him first, and you shouldn't be a second choice or a replacement for anyone - but that doesn't mean I can't still see it. I can imagine you there with me years in the future, decades, just as dedicated and devoted and perfect as you are now, and I can see him being just the same - if he'd ever fall in love with me. And I can't imagine ever falling out of love with him, or ever not loving you, no matter what kind of love it is."

Cat Noir was floored. She - she considered him, as Cat Noir, a possibility? Even if she liked Adrien first and possibly more, she still thought she could love him? That was - that was...

God, that was _everything_.

"Cat? Are... you okay?"

Oh right, the wager. Cat Noir wracked his brain for the best opening in his schedule.

"Of course, my Lady." Cat wondered if she thought it was weird that he was smiling about this. Considering the circumstances, he wasn't entirely sure if he could stop. "I believe Adrien is free this Sunday. If you'd like to meet him in the park around, say, two o'clock, I'm sure he'd love to spend the afternoon with the girl of his dreams."

For the first time in what felt like years, Cat Noir was looking forward to being Adrien.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before anyone asks: **Yes, I am currently planning a second part to this.** Possibly a third, depending on how long part two gets. I don't know how much time it'll take, though, and I felt like this part stood well enough on its own, so that's where I'm stopping it for now. **[Edit: 28 Nov 2017]** Okay, I've officially turned this into a chaptered fic, with this as the first of three chapters. Your collective response has been downright energizing, and I am so, so grateful to all of you ♥ **[/edit]**
> 
> Quick note to podficcers: You have my blessings to use Chat instead of Cat if you prefer, whatever makes it easier on you :) And please don't hesitate to ask if you have any other questions! I love podfic and want to make the experience enjoyable and easy for you.
> 
> I would love to have someone to talk ML with over at [**my Dreamwidth account**](https://soc-puppet.dreamwidth.org/)!


	2. Me and You

It was a quarter to two on Sunday afternoon, and Adrien Agreste was in trouble.

The date itself wasn't worrying him - or, rather, he'd done everything in his power to make sure it would go well, so he was trying not to let it worry him.

He'd dug the outfit from the latest ad campaign out of his closet, since he knew Ladybug liked it; it definitely felt a little tight, but considering it was indirectly responsible for getting him this date in the first place, he'd decided to put his faith in it.

He'd bribed Plagg with no fewer than three wheels of Camembert before leaving the house, with a promise of two more later - _if_ the kwami managed to behave for the whole date. Plagg had been more than a little grumpy at having to switch from his customary hiding place in Adrien's jacket to a worse vantage point in his satchel just so Adrien could dress up a little; his exact words had been, "How am I supposed to watch you make an idiot of yourself from _there_?", which really only helped cement Adrien's decision. Besides, Adrien thought, if Ladybug looked at him for one second the way she'd looked at that billboard the other night, it would be worth a _week_ of Plagg's complaining.

He'd even come up with a few ideas for activities they could do, just in case Ladybug didn't have anything planned (unlikely, he thought, but it certainly wouldn't hurt to be prepared).

Her conditions for the date itself were also fairly easy to follow. Well, more-or-less. She'd forbidden Cat Noir from telling Adrien who he would be going on a date with, since she apparently was going to be meeting him as a civilian. Adrien had to admit it was probably a good idea to keep a low profile, especially on a busy Sunday afternoon. And while he was unable to keep the spirit of the law, he did his best to at least stick to the letter, and not announce to himself gleefully that he had a date with Ladybug on Sunday. (There had been a few close calls. He'd had to hold his breath to keep from shouting it when he'd gotten home that evening, and instead danced silently around his room to express his joy, earning him several smartass remarks from his kwami.)

She'd also impressed on him that, since they both knew Adrien was a good guy, _and_ that Ladybug could take care of herself, she wouldn't need a chaperone for the date. Which was fair enough, he supposed, though he swore to be by her side in an instant if she did need him. This earned him a genuine smile, and her response of "I know you will," warmed him to the tips of his toes.

So the date itself wasn't the problem. No, the problem was that, very soon, he would know Ladybug's secret identity ...and she wouldn't know he was Cat Noir. Worse, she wouldn't even know that he knew her identity. And that was on top of the rest of their little bargain.

If their date went well - and he was doing everything in his power to make sure it did - there might be more dates in the future. Hopefully even dat _ing_. Being able to flirt with his Lady as Adrien but not Cat Noir would be one hell of a challenge, especially since he had been flirting with her as Cat Noir since day one. Hopefully Ladybug would go easy on him if he slipped up once in a while.

Actually, now that he thought about it, being Cat Noir around Ladybug in general was going to be hell after this. He was already juggling a double life around his father and his civilian friends, he didn't want to add Ladybug to the list if he could help it. He could only imagine how Ladybug would react if she figured out that he'd kind-of, sort-of tricked her; the thought was not pretty. The longer the charade went on, the worse the fallout would be, one way or another. No, he was simply going to have to confess the entire thing to her as soon as possible.

Maybe after the date. If he truly swept her off her feet, she might go easy on him for being a little sneaky about getting the opportunity. Possibly. It was worth hoping, right? There was only so much bad luck the universe could drop on a single person.

"A-adrien?"

Jolted out of his musing, Adrien looked up to see who had called him. There was Marinette, looking even prettier than usual in a pink sundress with a floral motif on the skirt, her familiar purse hanging by her side. Adrien grinned at her. "Hey, Marinette. What brings you here this afternoon?"

"I, um. I'm here for a date?" Marinette took a deep breath and looked directly into his eyes, smiling nervously. "With--with you."

Several things suddenly clicked into place for Adrien. For starters, it meant that Marinette's nervousness around him was because of her crush. He was used to that sort of behavior from fans, but hadn't expected it from someone who actually _knew_ him as Adrien. He'd previously chalked it up to lingering awkwardness over their first meeting, plus a dose of intimidation that he was the son of her fashion idol, but in retrospect, this made at least as much sense.

Next, it explained how Ladybug knew him so well, and how she knew about the aforementioned first meeting. Now that he thought about it, it also explained what she was doing during the whole Evillustrator incident, and he could think of several incidences of them using (what he now realized was) the same excuse to explain their absences during akuma attacks. Really, the parallels were obvious now that he knew to look for them. How had he not noticed before? Was it an extension of the kwamis' magic, or was it simply that he'd been too busy worrying about his own identity being discovered to put two and two together? His only consolation, if it could be called that, was that Marinette hadn't guessed his identity either - and he had all but dared her to do just that the night they'd made their wager.

Finally, it had dawned on him just how much trouble he was in if he messed this up. He'd known it would be bad back when he still thought he didn't know Ladybug in his civilian life, but now? Knowing that his Lady was none other than Marinette Dupain-Cheng, class president and genuinely amazing person? Marinette, who hated liars? Marinette, whom everyone except Chloe liked and would probably side with if their date went south? He'd never make it. School would become a living hell, and he'd have to go back to being home-schooled, constantly under supervision and never able to socialize properly with his peers. If he was lucky, Nino might still be willing to text him, but Nino had known Marinette for most of his life and Marinette was his girlfriend's best friend besides, so odds weren't in Adrien's favor.

"...Adrien? Are you sure this is okay?" Adrien blinked, his attention drawn once again to the present. Marinette's blush had gone down, and she was frowning now. "I know our friend said you'd be okay with it, but if you aren't, we don't have to do this. We can call it off and go home, or just go do something as friends; I'll let him know he's off the hook." She seemed genuinely saddened by the prospect, but still determined to do the right thing, which was Ladybug all over.

"No!" Adrien yelped. "No," he repeated, more calmly. "Really, Marinette, there's nowhere else I'd rather be right now than here with you. I just got a little distracted."

Marinette's smile was back, as was her blush. "Oh?"

"Yeah. When my friend told me he'd set me up with the girl of my dreams, I just never thought I might already know her. It just goes to show that I should've been paying more attention to what was right in front of me." Adrien grinned, a bit sheepishly. "You look amazing, by the way," he added.

"Thanks! I mean, you too! I mean, not that you don't normally look good; you always look good! But you already know that, you're literally a model. You just look especially good _today_ , I mean," she finished, redder than ever.

Adrien grinned wider, charmed in spite of himself. _She's cute like this._ He didn't often get to see Ladybug flustered - though he supposed that wasn't quite right, since Marinette _was_ Ladybug, and presumably had been since that first akuma attack. It somehow seemed different now that he knew they were the same person; just another complication from having secret identities, he supposed.

Aloud he changed the subject, trying to give Marinette a chance to save face. "Did you have anything specific in mind for our date today?"

His efforts paid off, and Marinette seemed instantly more confident now that she was falling back on a plan. "A friend of my parents just opened a cafe on the south side of the park," she said. "I thought we could take a walk over there and see what--"

The rest of Marinette's plan was cut off abruptly by a scream of rage from somewhere nearby: " **They had feathers, you cowards!** " Adrien's stomach sank as this was followed by a roar that sounded something like a cross between a goose and a lawnmower. Of all the times for an akuma attack!

Marinette's expression turned agonized. "Oh God, I'm so sorry Adrien, I just remembered that I have to, um--"

"It's okay," Adrien interrupted, his gut churning. He'd hoped to have more time before confessing, to ease her into the idea more carefully. Unfortunately, Hawkmoth had taken the decision out of his hands. "I know what you have to do. There's an alleyway near-by with good cover; I scoped it out when I got here this afternoon."

Confusion, hurt, and outrage warred on Marinette's face. "He promised me he wouldn't tell you!"

Adrien winced and ran a hand through his hair. "In my defense, my Lady, it's kind of hard to keep a secret from yourself."

He could see when everything finally came together for Marinette. "You-- _you_?!"

Adrien nodded, trying to convey an apology through his eyes. "Yeah," he confirmed ruefully, "me." A crash sounded from the park, followed by another near-deafening roar. "Look, I promise you can yell at me or whatever later, but right now we have a job to do!" He grabbed Marinette's wrist and started pulling her towards the alleyway.

It took Marinette only a second to snap back to the present, and then she all but overtook him. Moments later, Ladybug and Cat Noir emerged from the alley to fight the akuma.

\-----

To Cat Noir's relief, in more ways that one, the battle against Tyranavian Rex lasted barely thirty minutes. After a long and complicated chase around the park, Ladybug had finally managed to get Hawkmoth's latest victim to drop the akumatized item: an advertisement for the latest big-budget dinosaur movie, featuring decidedly un-feathered dinosaurs.

Cat didn't feel any particular way about inaccurate dinosaurs in movies, but when it came to fighting them, he thought he would much rather deal with the inaccurate ones than the ones that set off his allergies. Thankfully, Ladybug's miraculous cleansing cleared up his akuma-induced sneezing as well, or his eyes would still be watering. Really, the whole thing made him almost appreciate Animan's less accurate T-rex - but then, nothing could truly make him appreciate almost seeing his Lady eaten alive, so maybe he'd take that back.

Cat landed softly behind Ladybug in the alleyway they'd used to transform. Pink and green sparkles lit the air as the pair's respective kwami rematerialized. Adrien took a step towards Marinette, who was facing away from him, his heart pounding. Was this how nervous Marinette had been earlier? "So, uh, it's still pretty early in the afternoon, if you still wanted to go to that cafe together..." He trailed off, seeing Marinette's shoulders tense up, and glanced sideways at Plagg.

"Adrien..." Marinette said, staring at the small red sprite in her hands, "...I don't think it's going to work out."

"What?" Adrien's heart plummeted. "I mean, I know I kind of tricked you, and I'm really sorry about that, but I really do--"

"It's not that." Marinette finally turned to face him, her kwami flying up to hover supportively by her ear; the girl's eyes were bright with unshed tears. "I mean, I'm not happy about that, either, but that's not the reason." She took a shuddering breath. "You never really wanted a date with me at all; the person you're interested in isn't real."

Adrien scrambled for words. "Of course you're real, Marinette!"

She smiled sadly at him, a lone tear spilling over her cheek. Adrien had to fight himself to keep from reaching out and wiping it away. "Yes, I am," she agreed, "but Ladybug isn't." Having said that, she turned and walked out of the alleyway; her kwami looked over the girl's shoulder at Plagg and Adrien one last time, then zipped into Marinette's purse.

Adrien watched them go, a lead weight forming in his stomach. "Well, that was a disaster," Plagg remarked by his ear - but soothed the sting of the remark by patting the side of Adrien's head in an attempt at comfort. He waited a breath, then asked, "So what are you going to do to fix it?"

Adrien stared out the mouth of the alleyway, Marinette's words echoing in his mind. An hour ago, he hadn't even known she was Ladybug, but now that he knew, everything fit so perfectly that he couldn't imagine her as anyone else. How could he possibly convince her of that, though? Then memories from the night they'd made their wager rose in his mind, and an idea started to form.

"Plagg," he said, "I think I have a plan."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Credit for the line, "[They had feathers, you cowards!](http://pangur-and-grim.tumblr.com/post/166274291567/verylargefrogs-pangur-and-grim)" goes to [Greer Stothers](http://greerstothers.storenvy.com/) and was used with permission. (Any podficcers out there who might be thinking of podding this fic: If you could also credit Greer for the line somewhere in your recording, I would be very grateful <3 )
> 
> I swear, this chapter fought me for every paragraph. My current goal is to have the final chapter up within one week of Amplificathon (I live in hope of podfic always), but uh. We'll see how that goes.
> 
> Anyway, feedback welcome!


	3. You and Her

It was nearly ten that night before Adrien managed to make his way to Marinette's house.

He'd spent the afternoon planning what to say to her, going over everything with a fine-toothed comb and trying to find exactly the right words. The rest of his evening had been busy, split between dinner, piano practice, and a rather sad attempt at studying, and fighting for attention the entire time was what he wanted to tell Marinette.

He'd finally settled on something he thought sounded okay around nine o'clock, then promptly lost another hour after that to sheer nervousness. What if she didn't want to see him? What if she told him she didn't even want to work together anymore? He didn't think he could bring himself to give up being Cat Noir, but if Ladybug said didn't want to be his partner any longer...

At last, after more than a few nudges from an increasingly exasperated Plagg, Adrien swallowed his nerves and transformed. It felt like only seconds passed before he found himself near the roof of the Dupain-Cheng bakery, heart thumping wildly against his ribs. Taking a breath to steady his nerves, Cat Noir rapped his knuckles against Marinette's bedroom window.

Cat tensed as the sound of a murmured conversation he hadn't been consciously aware of went abruptly silent. He counted breaths as it started hesitantly up again, waiting for some sort of response.

He had gotten to fifteen when what could only be Ladybug's kwami phased through the wall in front of him.

"That wasn't very nice of you, tricking Marinette like that," she informed him in a tiny voice.

Cat's ears drooped, and he felt his tail curl around his feet. "I know. I just wanted to know if she really liked me for me, and then when I found out we both liked each other, I thought it would be easy... I knew it was a bad idea, I just want to be with her so much." He sighed and looked at her window again. "She's just so... perfect."

Ladybug's kwami regarded him critically. "You should probably be telling Marinette this, not me," she said finally.

Cat winced and looked down. "I want to, but I'm not sure she wants to talk to me. I don't think I'd blame her if she doesn't. I had to try, though."

The small god considered for a moment longer, then nodded. "Go wait on the balcony," she instructed. "I'll talk to Marinette."

Cat followed the kwami's directions and leaned against the balcony railing to look at the city, his stomach a mess of knots. He had no idea if Marinette would actually talk to him. Hopefully her kwami would at least let him know one way or another, so he didn't spend all night on the balcony. He'd probably head home eventually if she didn't. No later than two or three, definitely.

The faint creak of hinges sounded behind him and his heart leapt into his throat, almost choking him. He spun around instantly, and there was Marinette rising through the trapdoor to her room, eyes slightly red around the edges. "Tikki said you had something to tell me?" she asked, her voice horse.

Cat Noir licked his lips, gathering his thoughts again. "You told me this afternoon that you think the person I want to date is actually Ladybug, and that she isn't real. And I get that, at least a little bit; our identities are definitely more complicated than the average person's.

"The more I thought about it, though, the more I think there's more to it than that," he continued. "No, I _know_ there is. You showed me that you see me for who I am, whether I'm Cat Noir or your classmate or a model boy in front of a camera. Well, the same goes for you: You're Marinette all the time, whether you're helping your parents or taking charge in school or wearing a costume and saving Paris. And maybe I needed a bit of a push to see it, but now that I do, I know it's true. Because _you're_ the person I fell in love with, all of you. I just wish you could see it, too."

Marinette stared at him like she could see right through to the other side; Cat swallowed nervously. "...Okay," she said at last. "Show me. Give me, hmm." Her lips quirked into a self-deprecating smile. "Give me _five_ reasons that Ladybug and I are the same person, and I'll believe you."

Cat nodded quickly. He hadn't expected her to her to lead into his plan like this, but at this point he would take all the luck he could get.

"You're incredibly creative," he began. "As Ladybug, you're always able to figure out what your Lucky Charm means and how to use it to defeat the akuma, no matter what it is, and some of those have been real challenges. As Marinette, your fashion designs are breathtaking and innovative; no matter what you're making, you always manage to find a way to surprise me. You do things with clothing that I've never seen before, and believe me, I've seen a lot!"

Marinette was watching him carefully, her lips parted slightly in surprise. Adrien continued, determined to convince her just how amazing she was.

"You care deeply about other people. We both know how much Ladybug does to protect the citizens of Paris, but as Marinette you go out of your way to try and make sure there's nothing they need to be protected _from_. More than once I've seen you go to comfort someone who was upset over something, and yeah, it could just be to prevent akuma attacks, but I'm pretty sure you'd do that anyway, because that's just who you are."

She was staring now, a newly familiar blush starting to rise in her cheeks. He took this as a good sign.

"You're willing to admit when you screw up and to apologize for it. Hell, you were trying to patch things up with Lila right up until she went back to Italy! There are way too many people in the world who aren't willing to accept when they've done something wrong in the first place, let alone make amends, but you do it in _and_ out of costume. I've always thought that was really brave."

Marinette's eyes were shining again, and she'd raised her hands to cover her mouth. Cat swallowed; he was _pretty_ sure that was a positive reaction. Either way, he only had two left to go; he pressed on.

"You're determined. I've seen it so many times; once you set your mind to something, I don't think there's anything in the world that can stop you. Sometimes this means you have to compromise or backtrack and try again, but you keep on going until you're satisfied with the results. You've found new ways to fight akuma as Ladybug, and new solutions to problems as Marinette. It's inspiring; whenever I find myself about ready to give up on something, I think of you and it helps me get back to work."

This was it; this was the last one. It was the one that had come to mind first, and the one he had tried the hardest to get right. He hoped it would be enough.

"You're easy to love. For all the reasons I've already said and more, as Ladybug and as Marinette. People are drawn to you, no matter which name you're using, and I'm no exception. Loving you is the easiest thing I've ever done, and it would be the hardest to stop. I think I could give up being Cat Noir before I stopped loving you, and that's--"

"Okay," Marinette interrupted. "That's enough. You win." She launched herself at him, and Cat suddenly found himself sandwiched between Marinette and the balcony railing, her lips pressed firmly against his. Shocked, it took Cat a few seconds to respond, then he wrapped his arms around her as tightly as he could, pulling them even closer together and losing himself in Marinette.

He was dizzy when she finally broke the kiss, pulling back only a few centimeters. He licked his lips and shivered when he tasted her there, and again when he saw Marinette mirror the gesture. "So," he said, trying for casual and failing spectacularly. "Does this mean I get another chance at a date?"

Marinette laughed breathlessly and kissed him again. Cat Noir decided to take that as a 'yes'.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's done! It's finally done! I can't say I was expecting to be ready to post this chapter in less than a week, even if I was more than half done with it when the last one went up, but I sure as heck ain't complaining.
> 
> Anyway, with this fic finished, I wanted to put the word out: I'm looking for a polyamorous sensitivity reader/beta for one of my upcoming fics, tentatively titled Metamour or Less. It'll be a little while before it's done, but I wanted to ask while I have a good platform to do so. I've got excerpts up [here](https://soc-puppet.dreamwidth.org/601060.html#cutid1) and [here](https://soc-puppet.dreamwidth.org/601457.html), so you can see if you're interested. Leave me a comment here or on one of the posts if you think you want to be a sensitivity reader, and we can work something out :) (Everyone else is also welcome to read the excerpts, of course, though they will spoil the fic itself a bit.)
> 
> Lastly, thank you to everyone who read this fic! I hope you enjoyed it and will look forward to more from me :) As always, feedback welcome!

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [[podfic] Him and Me and You and Her](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16540160) by [Annapods](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Annapods/pseuds/Annapods)




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